


Seeds and Slime

by SomewhatByronically



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: I know I said I would post more Geralt/Emhyr but I got distracted, M/M, SORRY FOR REPOSTING, here have this fluff about sarcastic dorks and their bad decisions instead, okay let's try this again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 08:50:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16829197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomewhatByronically/pseuds/SomewhatByronically
Summary: Despite his bravado, Tony Stark is just human in so many ways.A fluff-tastic fic about carving pumpkins.





	Seeds and Slime

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iamasunflower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamasunflower/gifts).



> This was a piece for the Ironstrange Reverse Big Bang and I got to work with the lovely [Nya](https://tincantony.tumblr.com/) and [this is their art here.](https://tincantony.tumblr.com/post/180779342963/my-piece-for-the-ironstrange-reverse-bang-i-had)
> 
> And [Star](https://starlightark.tumblr.com/) was my beta! (She also wrote an excellent fic!!!) 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

"Not a _single_ night off Stranger Danger?" Stephen looked up from his book, Tony sat at his workbench finessing some shiny and new idea into a practical implementation. He didn't look sad now, but Stephen was still stinging from the absolutely despondent look that Tony had given him a few nights back when he told Tony that he couldn't spend Halloween with him. 

Stephen sighed softly, "No, just not this night."

Tony shifted the gadget in his hands before looking back up at Stephen, "So they had it right? The veil really is thinner on All Hallows Eve and all that?"

Stephen slipped a bookmark in between the yellowed pages before standing up and walking over, "Unfortunately a little belief can run a long way."

Tony glanced back down at the gadget in his hands and hummed thoughtfully, "Well then can you come over on Wednesday?"

Stephen bent down, resting a hand on Tony's shoulder and pressing his lips to Tony's temple before responding, "Sure darling."

~~~~~~~~~

Stephen stepped through the portal to Tony's workshop. Levi trailed in, before the portal could snap shut, and it floated away towards DUM-E. Theirs was a strange relationship, but it somehow managed to work. Stephen turned and couldn't help the smile that stole onto his face at the sight of his partner so engrossed in his work. There was a pensive handsomeness that was only present when Tony was so absorbed and so quiet. Stephen only wished that he could to see it more often. He let himself enjoy the sight for a moment.

"See something you like?" Tony said with a barely-there smile while still tending to his work.

Startled out of his reverie, Stephen couldn't help himself with his reply, "Always."

"Now see, with that kind of sappiness, I might think that you actually like me," Tony was never particularly good at taking compliments. Stephen just smiled back, the corners of his mouth tinged with sadness. He wished that he could do something about Tony's dismal self-esteem, but he was hardly an expert himself in those matters.

Tony glanced up, "Oh, I didn't mean to upset you gorgeous."

The sadness melted away with Tony's thousand-watt smile. Stephen had long ago learned the difference between his press smile and the gift he'd just been given. Given it was to so few people. Knowing the difference, Stephen wondered how anyone could believe the fake. Maybe they didn't. Either way, Stephen shook himself mentally, now was not the time for such maudlin musings given how little time they could steal away from their responsibilities. How little, but how wondrous it was. Tony made Stephen feel like a man reborn. The drastic shift from superstar neurosurgeon to reclusive wizard was enough of a start. It had thrown him entirely off kilter and unbalanced him in a way that he wasn't comfortable with for months. He grew some on his own, adapting to the ways of Kamar-Taj first out of survival. Slowly though, a deep respect and admiration for the work he was doing took its place and, in time, he had achieved some sort of barely stable stability. What had still haunted him was this feeling of inadequacy, of amateur doubt, classic impostor syndrome. Just, not something that he had ever dealt with before. He was so self-assured, so arrogant, in his previous life and his newfound humility had come with a few side effects.

When he first met Tony, it was so easy to fall into old patterns. He was so readily tricked by the candy-coated shell that Tony Stark shows everyone. So he responded to arrogance and flippancy in kind. Trading jibes and thorns in the way that he was so practiced in. And then fourteen million futures happened. It wasn't a complete picture, but you could only watch Tony Stark endure and sacrifice and grieve so many times before it knocked enough cracks in that same shell for the light to start leaking through. So it wasn't love, not at first. But it had planted a seed for something deeper between them. Stephen stopped letting Tony antagonize him. He started looking harder, paying more attention to Tony when he was on the fringes of attention. Turning towards him when others turned away.

Stephen even began to leave the Sanctum sometimes, at first under the pretense of hearing Tony out about the Accords. But they were both brilliant men, and with minds like theirs it was only a matter of time before a natural curiosity about the other took over. Conversations shifted from dull legalese and half hearted appeals from Tony to ideas of morality and responsibility. Soon enough they were talking about work, Stephen narrating particularly interesting days in and out of the Sanctum and Tony detailing his latest machines and upgrades. Both topics were deeply technical in their own ways and Stephen knew that he lost Tony (Tony’s eyes would glaze over in a very particular way) as often as Tony lost him, but what was important was that they stayed. Something that very few people had done for either of them.

A shaky trust and camaraderie was built. Even though they had few opportunities to work together, it steadied over time. In the midst of battles and over late nights in the workshop or in the Sanctum. No matter his own thoughts, Stephen couldn't ignore the looks Tony kept giving him. Nothing so transient as lust (yet) but they were looks that read trust and confidence and _faith_ . That is what shook Stephen's self-doubts to the core. Tony knew him to be a _Master_ of the Mystic Arts and so a master he would be.

And if peace of mind and a new confidence in himself wasn't enough, then he fell in love. The unhurried sort of love that left Stephen no stranger to longing. His heart quickening at the simplest of touches (and there were many). His tongue tangled on what words that might give him away. It was a patient love that assured him this was more than a crush. Although not quite patient enough to wait for Tony to realize he was in love too.

It was a slow evening in Tony's workshop, there was no work to do and they were simply trading stories of the trouble they had gotten into in their younger years. Tony was seated across the workbench, a smug grin gracing his face at the thought of some indiscretion that he had gotten away with. Stephen's heart was fit to burst and he knew that there probably wouldn't be a better time to act. Tony's grin melted into confusion as Stephen stood up. He was just barely tall enough to lean over the work bench and press his lips against Tony's. After a quiet beat, Stephen pulled back and a nervous fidget popped up at the look of utter shock that graced the face of his love. At that, Stephen's heart clenched, he realized he would still love Tony no matter what happened next. A look of realization slowly dawned on Tony's face and the words just popped out of his mouth without any thought at all, "I think I love you too." Stephen could only laugh as he fell in love all over again.

~~~~~~~~~

Back in present time, Stephen scoffed at himself, "Oh, I think I'll get over it."

"Yes, but I can't stand to see you so glum," Tony smirked, "Should I kiss it better?"

Stephen walked around the table and Tony spun around in his chair so that Stephen could stand between his legs. His hand lifted to rest beneath Tony's chin, cupping his jaw, before he looked away from the intensity in Tony's eyes, pretending to seriously consider the idea. He looked back with a smirk matching Tony's, "I think that might work."

Tony's hands came to rest around Stephen's waist, his thumbs worrying at the denim of the jeans he was wearing. The moment hung, weightless and perfect, and the workshop fell away as Stephen's whole world narrowed down to the man in front of him. The strength of his hands, the intoxication of his scent, the warmth of his eyes. Then Stephen ducked down, his eyes falling closed as Tony's lips pressed back against his. Stephen lifted his other hand to cup around Tony's face as he deepened the kiss, letting himself get lost in the simple feeling that consumed him.

Tony pulled back, voice slightly raspy, "As much as I'd love to continue this, I do have plans."

Stephen smiled, “Feel free to share."

Tony shooed Stephen backwards and hopped off the stool. He took hold of Stephen's hand and led him to to a cleared out corner of the workshop, talking without looking back, "Oh you'll see."

There was a sheet draped over a large lump and black plastic spread all over the floor. 

"You haven't killed anyone have you?" Stephen asked with a teasing tone in his voice.

Tony made a face, "God no, lemme just," and he pulled the edge of the sheet away, revealing a giant pumpkin, "Ta-da!"

And then there was another one of those smiles, like Tony was deeply pleased with himself to be dragging his boyfriend into pumpkin carving. Stephen raised an eyebrow, "Where did you even get one this big?"

"I have my sources," Tony stated, his voice quieting as if someone might overhear.

Stephen chuckled, "Alright! Though I'm hoping you don't expect me to handle any knives."

"Not to worry Doctor, you have your purpose." Tony grabbed a knife from a nearby counter and set to work cutting the top off. It was a rather large pumpkin, Stephen wasn't entirely sure he could wrap his arms around it, maybe just barely. He was distracted as he pondered this so he was slightly startled when Tony talked.

"There, have at it." Tony set the pumpkin top onto the ground.

Stephen looked to Tony, confused, "You want me to...?"

"Scoop out the pumpkin guts." Tony said, as if there was no possible other way he could answer the question.

Stephen sat down on the floor, "Tony, you can't make me scoop out the pumpkin guts."

Tony looked down, "Yes I can, this is your job."

Stephen thought for a bit before replying, "Why do _I_ have to do it?"

"They're disgusting." Tony knelt down next to the pumpkin, pointedly looking away from the newly made hole.

Stephen set his hands on his knees, "Yes, obviously, no one likes the pumpkin guts."

"Yes, but they make me sick," Tony insisted.

The matter of fact way that Tony was stating everything inclined Stephen to believe him, but Stephen crossed his arms, "You're just fucking with me."

Tony sighed in resignation, "Alright, watch and learn."

Tony reached into the pumpkin and shuddered, but it’s so easy to fake a shudder. Before Stephen could say as much, Tony suddenly bent over, hand still in the pumpkin, and dry heaved. 

Stephen stared, baffled, "This was your idea."

Tony pulled the handful out and shuddered again, "I know, I know!" Tony exclaimed as he gagged and dropped the pumpkin guts on the floor.

Stephen was still deeply confused by the entire situation, "Why'd you buy such a big pumpkin?"

Tony had take some time to compose himself before he could pout and reply, "I thought I'd have help!"

Stephen narrowed his eyes before relenting, "Fine."

Stephen grabbed a garbage bag on the floor with one hand and reached into the pumpkin with the other, rolling his eyes as he did so.

Tony tried to pick up the guts that he had dropped onto the floor, but he gagged again as he attempted to drop them into the bag Stephen was holding. Then, in that moment, Levi decided to make itself known again by coming up behind Stephen and covering his eyes, shielding him from the current trainwreck in progress. Stephen huffed, and pointed at Tony, "Cover his eyes!"

Levi floated over obediently and draped itself between Tony and the pumpkin, reminding Stephen, with a pang, of surgical drapes.

“Thanks babe,” Tony sighed, “Sorry for dragging you into this.”

“Tony,” Stephen said, with as much warmth he could muster, “I love you, and I love this, whatever is it that just happened. I was just… so confused.”

“Really?” Tony asked, unsure.

Stephen leaned over, brushing the cloak out of the way so he could answer Tony adamantly, “Yes.”

“Alright,” Tony’s face brightened, “I’m glad I didn’t ruin the evening.”

Stephen laughed to himself, "It's just... so... human."

“What?” Tony started, his smirk back where it belonged, “Gagging because of pumpkin guts?”

“Yes.” It settled into a quiet before Tony realized that he could hear Stephen digging through the pumpkin and turned on some music. Stephen supposed it was pleasant enough for being elbow deep in pumpkin. After a couple of songs, Stephen found himself scraping the bottom of the pumpkin out, guts contained in an unfortunately sizeable bag. How they were going to remove it from the lab was a mystery for later.

“Done,” Stephen declared, immediately reaching for Tony with his sticky hands.

“Don’t touch me!” Tony shouted as he jumped back, “Go wash your hands.”

“Alright dear.” Stephen stood up, making sure not to brush the cloak, a smile splitting his face as he walked to the sink.


End file.
